The Children’s Heritage Foundation Series
An explanatory note from the author: The next several Developer articles will be designed to eventually be assembled into a children’s heritage book series on God’s Design for The Family. The simple structure is to have each book focus on one primary Biblical Family Covenant Concept and to have each chapter develop one relevant aspect of that concept. The articles that will be presented in this column are first draft ideas for which comment and feedback are desired. The initial plan is to have each chapter contain four sections of content. Section One will be a key word or phrase and definition. Section Two will be a Scripture text with a very brief explanation of the concept. Section Three will be a short story (from the Bible preferably) and a place for a drawing that helpfully illustrates the meaning. Section Four will ask questions to develop the application and meaning of the concept. For the purposes of this newsletter, a children’s drawing page will be provided for your children to draw a relevant picture about the story.
Manage Your Household: The responsibility God has given believing women to care for the needs of their family members.
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” (Prov 31:27 ESV)
Ruth Cares for Her Mother-in-Law
“Naomi said [to Ruth, “I’m going to Bethlehem], “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and her own gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth said, “Don’t ask me to leave you! Don’t beg me not to follow you! Every place you go, I will go. Every place you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die. And there I will be buried.” So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”
“One day Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields. Maybe someone will be kind and let me gather the grain he leaves in his field.” Naomi said, “Go, my daughter.” So Ruth went to the fields. She followed the workers who were cutting the grain. And she gathered the grain that they had left.
It just so happened that the field belonged to Boaz. He was a close relative from Naomi’s family. When Boaz came from Bethlehem, he spoke to his workers: “The Lord be with you!” And the workers answered, “May the Lord bless you!” Then Boaz spoke to his servant who was in charge of the workers. He asked, “Whose girl is that?” The servant answered, “She is the Moabite woman who came with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me follow the workers and gather the grain that they leave on the ground.’ She came and has remained here. From morning until just now, she has stopped only a few moments to rest in the shelter.” Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay here in my field to gather grain for yourself. Do not go to any other person’s field. Continue following behind my women workers. Watch to see which fields they go to and follow them. I have warned the young men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink. Take water from the water jugs that the servants have filled.”
Then Ruth bowed low with her face to the ground. She said to Boaz, “I am a stranger. Why have you been so kind to notice me?” Boaz answered her, “I know about all the help you have given to Naomi, your mother-in-law. You helped her even after your husband died. You left your father and mother and your own country. You came to this nation where you did not know anyone. The Lord will reward you for all you have done. You will be paid in full by the Lord, the God of Israel. You have come to him as a little bird finds shelter under the wings of its mother.”
Then Ruth said, “You are very kind to me, sir. You have said kind words to me, your servant. You have given me hope. And I am not even good enough to be one of your servants.” At mealtime Boaz told Ruth, “Come here! Eat some of our bread. Here, dip your bread in our vinegar.” So Ruth sat down with the workers. Boaz gave her some roasted grain. Ruth ate until she was full, and there was some food left over. Ruth rose and went back to work. Then Boaz told his servants, “Let her gather even around the bundles of grain. Don’t tell her to go away. Drop some full heads of grain for her. Let her gather that grain, and don’t tell her to stop.”
So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she separated the grain from the chaff. There was about one-half bushel of barley. Ruth carried the grain into town. And her mother-in-law saw what she had gathered. Ruth also gave her the food that was left over from lunch.” (Ruth 1:15-17, 22; 2:1-18 ICB, abridged)
Manage Your Household
“If a believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them.” (1 Timothy 5:14, 16 NET)
In the space above, draw a picture of Ruth bringing home a basket of barley grain to Naomi. (Please make copies of this page so each of your children can participate. We would appreciate you sending us copies of their drawings! Please know that any picture submitted will become the property of WCFS and may be used in our print and digital media).
Questions for Understanding
Why did Ruth choose to care for her mother-in-law? (See 1Tim 5:16)
What does it mean to manage a household? (See Prov 31:27 & 1Tim 5:11)
What motivates wives and mothers to manage their households? (See Gen 2:18, 3:16)
How was Ruth rewarded for her loving care?
How did Boaz reflect Proverbs 31:28-31?
